Why alcohol addiction is even more dangerous for women

Nov 16, 2018Bobby EzraHealthComments Off on Why alcohol addiction is even more dangerous for women4

Women are more affected by alcohol. It takes less to affect them, and it affects their system much factor. Part of the reason is that girls are on average smaller than men so that one serving of alcohol is proportionally larger. Women also tend to metabolise alcohol less efficiently. Alcohol stays in their system for longer and as a result acetaldehyde – a dangerous intermediate product of alcohol metabolism – can do more damage to their bodies. Being more susceptible to the effects of alcohol also makes women prone to accidents after drinking less volume of alcohol. One day this could lead to the need to go to alcohol rehab.

Women are vulnerable to all the same alcohol related issues as men are, but women get them much sooner as the effects of alcohol take effect much more quickly. For example, women are more susceptible to liver damage, or conditions like hepatitis and cirrhosis. It’s not unusual for a heavy drinking woman’s liver to be significantly damaged by age 40. Woman also are susceptible to cognitive impairments and brain shrinkage, also heart disease at an earlier age too.

Other conditions that can come into play which may shock you are an increased risk of early menopause, infertility, miscarriages etc. Women who drink when pregnant risk the child developing foetal alcohol syndrome, this causes developmental, cognitive and behavioural problems. Excessive drinking can lead to osteoporosis and an increased risk of bone fractures.

Drinking heavily can increase a risk to breast cancer, and increases oestrogen levels which makes breast cancer more likely. Woman drinking six time a day or more increases the risk of breast cancer by nearly 50%.

Women face challenges in recovery, because statistically women are much more likely to have custody of children and be responsible for caring for a child, this is an extra obstacle to deal with when trying to recover. It’s difficult to go to a rehab clinic if you need to care for children. Women are also statistically more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety disorders and addiction. These need to be treated simultaneously with substance addiction.

If a woman is addicted to alcohol, they are more likely to be in a relationship with someone who drinks. Alcohol is associated with the vast majority of domestic violence cases, and women are more likely to be a victim.

If you are worried about your own or a loved one’s behaviour, please look into alcohol rehab today